2 Flu Shot Clinics In Ardmore Oct 17

ARDMORE, PA – Main Line Health and the Montgomery County Office of Public Health are teaming up to offer flu shot clinics in Ardmore in mid October to help you stave off influenza as the season grows nearer.

According to county officials, two clinics will be held on Oct. 17, both in Ardmore.

The clinic times and locations are listed below:

• Wednesday, Oct. 17, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. PALM Senior Center of Ardmore, 117 Ardmore Ave., Ardmore
• Wednesday, Oct. 17, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Lower Merion Fire Department, 35 Greenfield Ave., Ardmore

Registration is required for the clinics and is for people 19 years of age and older. To register call 1-866-CALL-MLH.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone age six months and older get their yearly flu vaccine as soon as vaccines become available in their community. Vaccination is the best way to prevent influenza and its potentially severe complications. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against the flu, and then the benefits of the vaccination can last for up to a year.

Additional Influenza Immunization Clinics around Montgomery County are listed below. All sites are walk-in. Accommodations for persons with disabilities will be available. The vaccinations are at no cost for Montgomery County residents. OPH is requesting that all Medicare beneficiaries and clients with health insurance bring their insurance cards. For those attending any of the below clinics, there will be no co-pay or cost. The below planned sites are dependent upon vaccine availability.

• Tuesday, Oct. 2 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library, 1001 Powell St., Norristown

• Thursday, Oct. 11 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – Sunnybrook Ballroom, 50 North Sunnybrook Road, Pottstown

• Saturday, Oct. 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Abington Junior High School, 2056 Susquehanna Road, Abington

• Tuesday, Oct. 16 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – Upper Merion Township Building, 175 West Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia

• Saturday, Oct. 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Montgomery County Community College, College Hall 144/148/151340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell (Enter from Morris Road, turn left and then right at stop sign. Drive to parking bay 1A & 1B. Enter at lower glass atrium.)

• Tuesday, Nov. 6 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – Trinity Lutheran Church (Vote & Vax), 1000 West Main St., Lansdale

Influenza, commonly called “the flu,” is a highly contagious respiratory disease that can lead to serious illness, hospitalization, or even death. It is generally spread from person-to-person when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can be transmitted even before flu-like symptoms appear. A person usually becomes sick one to three days following exposure to the virus. Typical flu symptoms include fever, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle aches, and extreme fatigue. While the impact of flu varies, it places a substantial burden on the health of people in the United States each year. CDC estimates that influenza has resulted in between 9.2 million and 35.6 million illnesses, between 140,000 and 710,000 hospitalizations and between 12,000 and 56,000 deaths annually since 2010.

To minimize your risk of contracting flu, follow these three simple steps:

1. Get a flu vaccine. It’s the best way to fight the flu!
2. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and wash your hands often.
3. Take flu antiviral drugs if your doctor prescribes them. If you get the flu, antiviral drugs can be used to treat your illness.

Helpful websites for complete and up-to-date influenza information include www.flu.gov and www.health.pa.gov.

Find information about the flu on the Montgomery County Office of Public Health’s website at www.montcopa.org/flu or by calling (610) 278-5117.

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